Sp 137-Cs
by FromOutside
Summary: Helen receives curious news from Ukraine: a new abnormal species was seen unnervingly close proximity of Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The team picks up an old ally and travels to investigate
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: … and here we go!

This is my half-nano 2011 that was later on continued and edited for numerous times, published in Finnish, and then forgotten. That is, until recently I fell in love with the show again and started re-writing/translating this piece to English.

I currently fantasize updating once in every other week, or once in a month depending on the chapter length, timetables and such. Remains to be seen how that will go.

**Beta and editing:** by **ellymelly**, whose input greatly improved this in some many levels I can't even begin to tell 3

**Time line:** after Trail of Blood, before Awakening. I may have taken some freedom about when Abby and Will started dating and when Henry will meet Erika (meaning: Will is dating, Henry isn't)

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Chapter 1

The ever-present rain in the British Isles left the road riddled with potholes. The Toyota's tire fell into one and Will, traveling shotgun to get some rest, hit his head against the car's window. He was too tired to bother opening his eyes. At the moment he wanted little but a warm mattress and comfortable bed – preferably his own.

The flight from New York to Leeds was long and tiresome at best. Commercial airline, economy class no less... Crying children, bad food, uncomfortable seats clearly ill-suited for sleep and now _this road_.

How much farther they were driving? Will didn't know. Judging by the condition of the road, they were getting close. No remotely sane person would choose a route like this over a well tarred freeway.

"I'm gonna puke if this doesn't end soon," Kate complained, from the backseat.

Henry, who was currently sharing Will's hobby of attempting sleep, startled awake.

"Not on me! Open the window," he growled.

"Blimey..." Helen eyed Kate warily. "We're almost there but if you need a break – take it. There's no hurry."

"No, it's okay."

Will sighed in relief. Kate's motion sickness was one of the few things that would have made the trip more miserable than it already was. He mulled over other such options. A broken tire in the middle of English countryside or meteorite striking directly into the car.

On the bright side, Will realized, such events would have brought an end to his prolonged suffering.

He was thinking fondly of that meteorite when the tires found another pothole...

"Bloody hell!" Helen cursed, in both alarm and amusement as the car made some unhealthy sounds.

Her humor was unaffected by the long transit. Will felt a small sting of envy. His boss was annoyingly energetic for someone who hadn't napped in two days. She was unusually beautiful too, wearing coral lipstick that made her smile curve more dramatically and eyeliner that mirrored volcanic sand against an ocean, glinting in the glare. In combination with a tight bun and fitted pinstripe skirt, she looked quite the part of a naughty secretary.

Curiously, Will noticed her change clothes in Leeds, presumably to keep this particular outfit as fresh as possible. At then Will started thinking he was missing something important.

His suspicions were heightened further when Helen had checked on two crystal glasses and a bottle of wine, inspecting them after the flight to ensure they'd survived unscathed. He couldn't guess what she was planning but it was obvious _who _all the fuss was for.

"Ow!" Will mumbled, when one of the tires sank into another dusty void. He was temped to ask something like '_What the hell are we doing in here?', _or, '_Why did I let you to talk myself into this mess?_', but he remembered the answers.

_It was Wednesday morning, not unusual in any way. Will had performed his early rounds and now wandered the Sanctuary corridors on his way to morning the briefing. He was early and in a good mood. Life had been rolling nicely, job-wise, and the weather had been most pleasant. Summer was making room for Fall and he'd felt a few of those promised crisp mornings already. While the days were still sunny Will planned to call Abby and spend a lazy afternoon out with her._

_His plans faded the moment he entered the meeting room and saw Helen's face. She was far too enthusiastic._

"_Good news?" Will asked, while pouring a cup of coffee. When Helen looked like this, good practice was to make sure blood caffeine levels were higher than normally recommended._

_She nodded. "Curious, if nothing else."_

_Will emptied his cup in one huge gulp, burning his mouth in the process. He grimaced at the taste of black, unsweetened coffee. 'Curious news' was usually the worst._

"_It seems like we've been offered a bit of field work, for a change," Helen baited him._

_Will felt a sudden desire to add some cognac to his next coffee."What's it this time?" he asked as he poured another cup. "Vampire squids, mermaids?"_

"_Please, sit down and finish your coffee. Henry and Kate should arrive soon."_

_Will sat sipping his drink in a comfortable silence. Kate and Henry arrived together. Will had stopped believing this to be a coincidence._

_Kate was always irritable in morning briefs. The undisciplined young woman was sleeping too much and working too little, in Will's opinion, but Arabica generally improved her mood. She went for it without saying a word._

"_Morning," Henry said for both of them. "Doc, is there something going on? You look excited."_

"_I fear I have become easy to read in my advanced years," Helen replied with a smile. "Though you are correct, Henry. Something rather fascinating has happened. Last night I received a message from one of my contacts in Europe. He believes he has encountered an abnormal, and, although his description is a bit sketchy on the details, he thinks it is an unknown species."_

"This _you count as good news_?"_ Kate sighed, clearly still annoyed at being dragged out of bed. "You're just going to take Will and the plane and go – wherever it is that you're going and leave Henry and I here to do the routine stuff. Then you'll show up, half eaten and hold up in bed for a few days during which Hank and I do all the leg work at the Sanctuary. Yeah, sounds exciting to me."_

_Lesser woman might have been offended but not Helen. "It is a new species, Kate. Every time we face one we have a unique opportunity to learn and improve our knowledge of the abnormal world. Findings like these have immeasurable scientific value. Besides, this time I'd like to take you and Henry with me. His skills may prove useful and we could you use you in the field."_

_Henry moved restlessly but let Helen continue._

"_As I said, the message came from Europe, Ukraine to be more exact. The person who sent it works in Chernobyl powe plant and has done a great deal to catalog abnormal species and bring them to the Sanctuary network for observation when needed. He wrote that many workers have seen an unusual animal and its droppings in the vicinity of the fourth reactor sarcophagus. After he saw such a shadow slipping under the fence, he took its presence seriously enough to contact me."_

_Her colleagues all stared but Kate was the first to speak."They've made a fool out of you, Doc," she huffed. "The whole place went boom like, ages ago. They're fried."_

_"In 1986," Henry specified as Helen shook her head._

_"The catastrophe happened in April 1986, of that you are absolutely correct but that was not the first, nor the last accident that took place at the plant." She was thumbing through some files on her desk. "Even an accident of that magnitude does not mean that everything stops, not even when it comes to nuclear power. Only one of four reactors was destroyed while the others temporarily shut down. The last unit finally went dark in 2000. Old though it may be, nuclear power plants need to be taken care of. Restoration and decommissioning work is ongoing."_

"_You mean there are people working in that death trap?" Kate asked, in obvious surprise._

"_More importantly, you want us to go there?" Henry added._

_Amusement in his boss' eyes told Will that their reaction did not come as a surprise to her. She'd planned for this._

"_Don't look so worried." Honestly, of all the expeditions she'd been on with them, this wasn't the most dangerous by far. "We're not about to go tenting next to the sarcophagus or start a campfire on the slopes of a radioactive ruin. We'll be transiting in and out to monitor the creature and asses possible danger. All of us will carry Geiger counters and if it gets too hot, we'll tap out. We can always come back later to mount a rescue for the abnormal if we believe it is in or of danger."_

_Will noted that both Henry and Kate seemed relieved. He waited for the true meaning of the words to sink in. It did and horror crept over Henry's face._

"_You want me there to judge if the abnormals is a safety threat for the plant!"_

_Helen's smile developed an apologetic overtone. "Maybe."_

"_No," Henry said with vigor, shaking his finger pointedly. "No. This is where I draw my line. I will not, repeat, _not_ take any responsibility whatsoever on Chernobyl nuclear power plant safety! My nuclear physics ended in high school. I'm an electronics guy which, by the way, the radiation will bugger up."_

"_In fact, Henry, the main responsibility won't fall on you. We'll take a specialist with us this time around."_

_At this point Will's quiet suspicions were pretty much cemented._

"_Tesla," he sighed in dissatisfaction. _

_Henry shared the feeling. Kate verbalized it: "You sure this is a good idea?"_

"_Nikola has his quirks but I'm not worried. Henry will be watching him."_

_Henry looked at his boss incredulously."What makes you think I can?"_

"That aside, where'd he get to?" Will remembered the storm of emotions he had witnessed when Helen and Nikola last said their goodbyes. Nikola had not taken the loss of a certain centipede as well as Helen had hoped.

"_He is staying in England, and he will help us. We'll fly tonight. Pack well but light – and no sharp objects. The target may be evasive, meaning this could take several weeks. I don't want our plane to fly back empty, it is not good for the environment. We'll use commercial wings."_

Which was how Will ended up in a cramped economy class flight to Leeds only to discover that his suitcase had been sent to Gambia. He watched no less than three air-fresheners rattle about under the rear-vision mirror barley masking smell of old vomit, and felt sorry for himself.

"We going in there?" Will heard Kate ask. The landscape hadn't changed much since the last time he'd bothered to look. It offered little more than rickety fences on the both side of the road and behind them sheep doing whatever sheep liked to do when no one was eating them. There were no cars that Will could see. Then he saw what Kate had. An old mansion.

Assuming Nikola hadn't developed an inexplicable love for Old English manors, deep-fried food or woolly creatures behind the fences, he couldn't figure out what had drawn the ex-vampire to a place like this. Maybe it was the rain.

"'bout time cos I'm going to hurl for real if this doesn't end soon," Kate huffed. "And that won't be a pretty sight, I ate beetroot salad at the airport."

Will didn't doubt that.

Mansion's appearance improved as they drew closer. There was even a certain elegance about its early stage of decay that Will couldn't help but notice as Helen parked the car in the yard while Will peeked in on the vast garden. Old trees still bore apples though most had been picked while the ornamental shrubs dotting the grass had been carefully pruned. Next to the cobblestone walls were roses and lilies, some of them still clinging onto their blooms. A few meters from where they'd parked the Toyota was a fountain surrounded by more flowers. By all accounts, it was rather beautiful.

The younger members of Sanctuary staff stared their surroundings in surprise.

"What is this place?" Will asked.

Helen was too busy changing her shoes and pretending that lacing sandals took all her attention to reply.

"Could you pass my purse, please," she asked instead, checking her make up with the rear-view mirror. Finally she turned back to them and offered them something. "This is halfway house Bluebell – or, as many still say, Skiptonmoore's psychiatric hospital."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: a short chapter but here we go

**Beta**: again, much love to **ellymelly** whose work on the chapter greatly improved it

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Chapter 2

_A very odd hospital_, Will thought.

Its door was made from solid oak panels, cracked from a recently stripped coat of vulgar paint. An antique brass doorknob had been buffed back to life, holding its own against the modern doorbell to its right. As Helen went to press it, the door creaked open setting off a small cascade of chimes alerting the staff to their presence.

Inside, the renovations were tasteful but distinctly modern. Above the white marble floor was a stunning, vaulted ceiling hand painted several hundred years ago with a motif of vines and deer leaping around a countryside far more beautiful than what they'd spent the day driving through.

"Why are we-" Will began, but swallowed the rest when a woman in jeans and white shirt stepped in the corridor.

"Good afternoon," welcomed the nurse. "Can I help you somehow?"

_Alice Wallace,_ according to the name tag. Alice had once been beautiful, Will could tell, a few decades ago when her hair had been naturally auburn brushing against a thinner jaw. She was still immensely likable.

Helen cut to the point.

"Good afternoon to you too. We are looking for Nicolas Teller. Is he around?"

"Nicolas doesn't usually fancy company," Alice replied, with apologetic smile. "He doesn't tolerate anyone in his room either. I'll ask him but don't be too disappointed if he won't see you."

Helen nodded, unsurprised. "He'll want to see me. Please use these _exact _words, 'Helen is here with an apology'."

"Are you lovers?" Alice let slip.

"We certainly are not."

"I'm sorry, it is not my place to ask but we like to get to know each other in here. We'd love to know more about Nicolas too. He isn't exactly chatty, is he now...? Please, follow me. I'll show you to the waiting room, no need for you to tire you feet standing here."

"We are friends but we did not part in best terms last time we met," Helen briefly explained, and thanked Alice.

Alice showed the way through several doors and hallways. The waiting room, as she called it, was small but comfortable and modern. A sofa and two chairs were placed around a wooden table. In one corner a TV quietly ran repeats of an old soap series. Not even a suspicious stack of information booklets scattered on the table spoiled the homey impression.

"Please, sit down. I'll tell Nicolas you are waiting for him."

Helen nodded. Alice turned around and waddled back to the hallways, leaving the team by themselves.

If Will was expecting an explanation from Helen, he wasn't going to get it. She sat quietly while Henry and Kate sank into a lost silence.

Minutes passed. Will became aware of an old grandfather clock ticking seconds away into history. Its hypnotic pendulum lulled him into an uncomfortable trance. Henry and Kate were focused on the TV showing commercials of a drug that claimed to cure diarrhea in minutes.

It was almost comical but Will was too exhausted to waste energy laughing. He turned his attention to a discarded pamphlet instead.

The vague brochure brushed over most of the chateau's unpleasant details, lingering instead on the original owner's decision to donate the building for use as a hospital. Later, it specialized in psychiatric care before finally being rescued less than ten years ago. Now its doors were open to voluntary care only.

Will's eyebrow lofted at the extensive list entitled, 'Principals of Treatment' that trailed on for pages before it detailed the treatments themselves. He was surprised to find it all very grounded and well researched. Co-founder's name was familiar (not 'Baumschlager') but before Will could place the name his thoughts were interrupted by an opening door.

Nicholas Teller graced his way into the opulent room – or more correctly it was Nikola himself, grinning widely and looking almost the same than the last time, minus Columbian dirt. He looked neat, wearing an obviously new three-piece suit. He was thinner, which brought his features out in a different way that aged him a few years or maybe mortality was catching up the lost time. Was that a grey hair?

"...you've brought the children..." his face fell in theatrical dismay, as though all his dreams had been crushed by their presence. He shrugged off the slight when it was clear that the children were staying "Did you at least manage to bring the centipede? An overfed robin informed me that you have come to your senses." He extended his hand in expectation of the vial.

"Nikola," Helen greeted back, relief in her voice. "It's good to see you."

"You didn't bring it." Nikola's smile died before he withdrew his hand, turned his back and started walking.

Helen stood up to follow.

"The centipede and all related material was destroyed months ago. I thought I was doing the right thing. No amount of regret will bring the creature back."

Nikola stopped. He did not look back. "Do you regret it?" he asked. "Do you admit that oh-so-mighty Helen Magnus, who always knows best, admits her mistake and regrets it?"

A quiet hiss escaped her lips. Nikola heard it.

"Yes," she answered quickly. "I acted in haste and robbed you what might have been an unique opportunity."

The words clearly did not come from the heart but Will knew they were not easy to say. Apparently Nikola knew it too and didn't mind their lack of sincerity. He turned around and offered his arm to Helen.

"As long as you know better next time. Let us forget the insect. When you dress like that, how could I stay mad to you over some bug? They are anyway the most disgusting creatures on God's green earth. Alice told me that you have an apology with you?"

"Vintage 1956," Helen confirmed and picked up her handbag. Few steps removed the distance between the old friends and Helen let Nikola lead her out of the room.

"_As flattered as I am,"_ Will heard Nikola's voice from the hallway, _"I don't think you came all the way just apologize. What do you want?"_

Will strained to hear more but he missed Helen's reply. He felt both relieved and annoyed. His curiosity was not sated but duo's departure had greatly lightened the atmosphere.

On the latter, Henry and Kate seemed to agree

"So it is all-"

"What do you-"

As the dominant one, Kate's voice won over. "What do you think his thing is?"

Clearly Henry hadn't got as far with his thoughts. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Hank dear, no one signs in a psych ward for great food and good company. Notice how there was no 'doctor' in front of his name?"

Henry's mouth formed an 'O' of understanding as he leaned his head back. "Maybe there's something in this building?"

"Like what?" Kate scoffed. "The ornamental trees and dozen sort of crazies?"

"Will?" Henry asked for help. "You were reading that thing."

He shrugged. "The booklet didn't specify. It kind of reminds me of how we operate but they take non-violent cases only."

"My money is on eating disorder," Kate replied happily. "If I lost weight as fast as he did, I'd have bikini body in a week."

"You already have," Henry said, and continued in tone that carried genuine concern: "Maybe he has substance abuse issues? If he continued drinking half of what he used to before, you know, his liver's a goner."

Two pairs of eyes turned at Will, who began to feel the discussion had slipped to what he was uncomfortable with. So he shrugged again. "Could be anything, or nothing at all. Guilt trip for Magnus, or maybe he just wants a roof over his head. Like I said, this place reminds me of a Sanctuary."

"True enough," Kate replied. "You did you read his autobiography, right? Was there anything?"

Will scoffed. "Seems like he forgot to mention a few things in it I'd consider kind of important."

"Written history is a lousy source anyway," Henry completed the thought. "The important parts are left untold and without them nothing makes any sense. Smokescreens get confused with the reality and we don't get to see the most important provocations."

Will nodded, but Kate laughed.

"Provocations, Hank? Where did you learn big words like that?"

"I read," Henry said without any hints of hurt feelings.

They let silence fall. Kate and Henry returned to watching TV. Will pinched his nose bridge, trying to ward off a headache. Dinner time was at hand and Will's blood sugar had been plummeting for a while.

Apparently Kate shared the thought of food: "How long do you think Doc and Vlad will take? Do you think this place offers food?"

"You're assuming he'll leave with us... If we're lucky, someone will come here looking for him and we can invite ourselves."

No one came. The soap series ended and the local news was equally dull. Will began to doze. The armchair he had parked himself was surprisingly comfortable.

When he woke up, he wouldn't have taken any offense if Nikola and Helen stayed an extra hour or eight. Helen looked happy, tough, and so did Nikola.

"Go pack your pacifiers and teddy bears, children, we are going to Ukraine."


End file.
